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Vanilla Garlic is my nifty food blog that I tinker at with essays about life and food that I like to think are humorous or thoughtful. I also work as a freelance writer and a cookbook author. Whether I succeed at any of this debatable.

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Saturday, August 25, 2007

Five spice is a classic Chinese condiment that embodies the 5 main senses of taste - salty, sour, sweet, savory, and bitter. A unique flavor profile if you haven't had it before and tastes great on meat dishes. The main combination consists of cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, and ginger root though some have been known to switch out ginger for Szechuan pepper or cassia buds instead of cloves.

Regardless of the mix, it all pairs beautifully with chocolate. These cupcakes utilize high quality, high cacao percentage chocolate for a very dark bittersweet taste, which acts as the perfect backdrop for the full bloom of flavors from the five spice powder.

The five spice cream cheese is also spiked with a bit of ground ginger for a bit more oomph. It's definitely a tasty treat that's familiar and exotically fragrant.

Rob really liked this one and wanted them again, however I was busy and out of chocolate and eggs. Plus, pay day was still a whiles away (goddammit). So I did what anyone would do. I cheated. I used devil's food box mix, which is fine and tastes great too. It's a lot fluffier as box mix tends to be, so if that's the texture you want or want to save some time go this way. Both recipes are below.

Serving them with a small bit of candied ginger is a nice touch and a great way to finish off an Asian inspired meal for friends and family. This cupcake is by far one of my top favorites, and once you try it, I'm sure you'll agree.

What You'll Do...1) Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer, add the butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (a double boiler works great too). Stir until chocolate melts and combined with the butter.

2) Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes to thicken.

3) Place the bowl back into the mixer and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

4) Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds before adding the next.

5) Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until just blended.

6) Scoop into cupcake papers and bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes to ensure even baking.

Oh yum! I love using five spice in desserts. I recently made a particularly kick ass crisp with apples, pears and strawberries that rocked the five spice pretty hard. But five spice with chocolate and frosting is definitely something I want to try soon!

Just tried this recipe and It was delish! In fact- I've tried many of your recipes and I'm in love with your cupcakes;o) Next is the pumpkin curry one. But a question,is the Vosges candy worth $7.00 a bar? Should I try it at least once?And those red fire chips at $8.50? They sound good but so are your chipolte, cinnamon cupcakes.

Meg - In my opinion, no. Are some of their flavors worth trying though? Yes. Great for a treat but way to expensive for baking. As for the chips, I think you can make something pretty comparable using your own spice rack at home.

Hey, you're leaving a comment! That's pretty darn cool, so thanks. If you have any questions or have found an error on the site or with a recipe, please e-mail me and I will reply as soon as possible.~Garrett